Emmy Still Laughing at Jenna, Vanessa, But Jaime's Name Is Mud

2007 winner Jaime Pressly not in the running for supporting comedy actress Emmy; Jenna Fischer, Vanessa Williams, Amy Poehler make the cut

This is not shaping up to be much of a year for Emmy repeats (unless James Spader runs away with it again).

My Name Is Earl star Jaime Pressly, who was named Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy in 2007, has been left off the short list of female laugh-inducers who stand a chance of hearing their names announced July 17, when the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences reveals all the nominees for the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Meanwhile, the competition Pressly beat out last year has made the cut, according to another top-secret list obtained by the L.A. Times' Gold Derby blog.

But Pressly's in good company. Also in no danger of repeating last year's glory is Lost's Terry O'Quinn, Grey's Anatomy's Katherine Heigl and Extras' Ricky Gervais, who apparently can't stand to do more than two seasons of a critically acclaimed series.

Whether the writers' strike left Pressly without a golden moment this season is a valid question, but Emmy voters obviously found enough to like in scenes belonging to 10 other actresses—all of whom (minus Weeds' Elizabeth Perkins), it should be noted, honed their craft on broadcast networks, while all of the other major acting categories have ventured almost equally into the nether regions of cable.

Returning to the list are Perkins, Two and a Half Men's Conchata Ferrell and Holland Taylor, Ugly Betty's Vanessa Williams and The Office's Jenna Fischer.

Other familiar faces being considered include 30 Rock's Jane Krakowski (who seemingly had a lot less to do in season two, but whatever), Ugly Betty's Judith Light and Saturday Night Live's Amy Poehler (sketch show performers have been moved form the variety/musical mix to the sitcom crowd).

Pushing Daisies' Kristin Chenoweth and Samantha Who?'s Jean Smart round out the list.

Meaning, no Emmy love (again) for Desperate Housewives' Nicollette Sheridan or (surprisingly) her new neighbor, Dana Delany; no change of fortune for Ugly Betty's Ashley Jensen (who at least should have been nominated for Extras last year); no extra recognition for Pushing Daisies' eccentric, aquatic aunts, Swoosie Kurtz and Ellen Greene; and another thankless season for Monk's girl Friday Traylor Howard.

Speaking of dipping into the cable pot, check out this list of contenders for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama:

• Keith Carradine, Dexter (Showtime)
• Charles Durning, Rescue Me (FX)
• Danny Glover, Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
  
• Robert Morse, Mad Men (AMC)
• Peter O'Toole, The Tudors (Showtime)
• Oliver Platt, Nip-Tuck (FX)
• Peter Riegert, Damages (FX)
• Stanley Tucci, ER (NBC)
  
• Glynn Turmann, In Treatment(HBO)
• Robin Williams, Law & Order: SVU (NBC)